


Curse

by ZZ_Chikorita



Series: Jolly Rogers [10]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Versions
Genre: Anxiety, Backstory, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hawaiian Character, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Superstition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23693590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZZ_Chikorita/pseuds/ZZ_Chikorita
Summary: Dreams of his past continue to haunt Guzma. He takes a walk and a swim to clear his head.
Relationships: Guzma & Kuchinashi | Nanu, Guzma & Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui, Guzma/Kukui-hakase | Professor Kukui
Series: Jolly Rogers [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1680463
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	Curse

**Author's Note:**

> Ch. 10

There was a chill in the air. Guzma looked around frantically at the dark cave surrounding him. The coal-black walls held thousands of different colored gems that glowed faintly. It would have been beautiful if it wasn't so familiar.

"Why am I back?" he whispered to himself.  
No time for questions. He needed to focus:  
Get.  
_Out._

He stumbled into a sprint, moving down a dark tunnel, praying that it's the right way to the entrance.

"Moon! Lillie! Madame Prez! Anyone!" he shouted, but the only answer he received was his own echo.

The faint glow of the Ultra Space gems was the only light illuminating his path.  
What's happening? Why are there no nihilego?  
Just keep running. Escape. That's all that matters.  
_**ESCAPE!**_

Guzma found himself entering a larger cavern. Near the far wall he could see the silhouette of a woman. He strained his eyes in the dim light, until he was able to identify them. With a whole new sense of urgency, he ran toward her.

"Mom! What are you doing here?! It's dangerous! You need to get out of here!"

She turned and looked at him, a strangely serene look on her face. She held out her hand towards him. He moved to grab it but just as he tried to close his hand around her's, she vanished like a mirage.

"M-mom? Mom!" Guzma shouted as he floundered forward, "Makuahine!"1

The hair stood up on the back of his neck.  
He turned and was met with an enormous, building-sized figure looming over him.

None of this made any sense!  
Guzma could feel his head start to throb.  
He noticed a body laying at the foot of the monster. It was his mom kneeling prostate with her arms wrapped around protecting her head and neck.

Before Guzma could go to her, the monster bellowed with incredible force, causing the cavern to shake and fragments of rock and debris to fall from the ceiling.

"GUZMA WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

He clasped his hands over his ears, trying to block the harsh voice from wailing painfully on his eardrums.

This wasn't right. He didn't do anything! He didn't do it!

He tried to shout something, but no sound came out. It's like someone pressed a mute button on his voice.

Then he felt something wet drip down his temple. He hesitantly reached up and touched the viscous fluid, hoping it wasn't what he thought it was. But, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw the deep red color of his own blood covering his fingers.

He tried to scream again. Nothing.

The figure took a monstrous step toward him. Guzma took a step back but quickly retracted his foot when he felt the ground give way under his heel. Behind was a massive pit, loose pebbles clattering down the walls. Guzma wasn't certain he was able hear them hit the bottom.

He tried to run to where his mom laid but his legs wouldn't move. It's like they were frozen.

All of a sudden, he realized that there were nihilego everywhere, circling him like hungry scavengers. He looked down and saw translucent tentacle-like limbs wrapped around his legs and ankles. He reached up to his throat only to discover that more nihilego limbs had him in a choke hold.  
How did he not notice? How did they catch him so off guard?

Tears rushed down his face as he desperately tried to call out to his mother.

Guzma's heart sank as a massive shadow eclipsed him. The figure began to reel back, a massive object in his hands that Guzma quickly identified as a golf club. The end of it appeared to morph, almost continuously, from one thing to another. Iron, wedge, putter, wood...

He tried again to say something, anything. But there was nothing. The monster, on the other hand, continued.

"WHY CAN'T YOU BE NORMAL?!" he boomed causing another tremor, "HUKAI'PO SCUM!"2

He began to bring the club down, and Guzma just knew he was the little white golf ball in the green. He clenched his eyes shut and braced for impact.

All was dark and quiet and, for just a brief moment, a small, almost indiscernable, voice whispered in his ear,

**"There are no Normal/Bug types, Guzma."**

Guzma jolted awake, his knuckles bright white from gripping the arms of the chair. He was breathing heavily, his chest visibly rising and falling in quick succession.  
He reflexively brought one hand up to his temple and the other to his throat. The former was clean and dry (except for the sweat) and the latter was not bound by anything but his gold chain.

His eyes darted around the room until he was sure where he was: Po Town.

He leaned forward and put his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes and trembling from the ordeal.

"That fucking dream again..." he mumbled to himself as he took the hem of his shirt and wiped the cold sweat from his face.

He took a deep breath and got up from the chair. He pulled on his jacket and slipped his feet into his sneakers.  
Pausing at the door, he looked at the old, beat up bed in the corner of the room. Golisopod was curled up on it, sleeping soundly. In the middle of the isopod's back, Snom slept all nested in that one dingy rag.

The sight calmed Guzma, at least a tiny bit.  
He continued out the door and down and out the mansion. He really needed to get some air.

Luckily, it was just a light drizzle tonight. He made his way down the street to the edge of Po Town.  
He exited the walls and walked for a little while longer until he reached a pay phone. The old, rusted thing looked ancient, but at least it works. He rustled around in his pocket until he found two coins. He inserted them into the coin slot and dialed a number.  
What was this other thing in his pocket?

While it rang, he pulled out the card from his pocket, which looked past him with glowing amber eyes. Quickly, he recalled the events that occurred the previous day...

"Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice message system..."

Guzma's thoughts were interrupted by the robotic voice on the other end of the line.

"...at the tone, please record your message." _Beep_.

It's late, he didn't really expect her to pick up. Oh well, that's ok...

"Hi... Mom..." Guzma spoke gently and uncertainly, "I know it's late... I just wanted to see how you're doing... I.... I'm sorry I haven't been back in a while... I guess I'll try you again later... Alola wau ia 'oe...."3

He was about to hang up but swiftly put the phone back up to his ear, "Hey, if you don't mind... umm... please don't mention to Dad that I called? Mahalo..."4

With that, he hung up the receiver.  
He still felt pretty restless so he decided to continue his walk. Maybe he could go sit by the ocean to relax himself.

"It's late to be out don't you think?" said a gruff voice from the shadows on the side of the road, "People get nervous when brothers like us are walking around late at night."

Guzma sighed, hands in his pockets.

"And yet, here we both are, eh Nanu?"

The gray haired man emerged into the moonlight. His eyes look as weary and tired as ever and his face was familiarly apathetic.

"I'm here because I'm on third shift. Why are you here?"

"It a crime to go for walk now, Big Kahuna?"

"I cannot begin to express to you how much I hate that nickname," the old man sighed callously, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Want a different one? Let's see..."

Guzma brought his finger to the side of his face as if to show how hard he was brainstorming.

"How about: Officer Fuck-Off? Dark Daddy? Mistah Kahuna? Da Po-in da-lice?"

Nanu cracked a smile if only for a fraction of a second.

"Ok, I admit that that last one was pretty clever."

Guzma pumped his fist in the air, mouthing the words 'nailed it'.

Guzma and Nanu's relationship was a complicated one. They're on good terms, but they aren't exactly friends. Guzma has a deep-seated resentment for the system, and thus its officers, and Nanu's more than aware of this. Despite this, the old man has helped the troubled youth out a number of times in the past.  
He convinced the Akala government to give Po Town to the Team. He's always giving him tips on how to avoid giving the police probable cause to enter the town and its buildings. He's even bailed out the occasional grunt for petty crimes.

Nanu gestured toward a nearby bench. He walked over and sat down. Guzma follow and plopped down next to him.

"My joints aren't what they used to be," commented Nanu, rubbing his shoulder and stretching his neck, "So, what's on your mind?"

Guzma ran his fingers through his hair, which glowed a bright, ghostly white in the moonlight.

"Just couldn't sleep. Thought I'd get out for a bit. Clear my head, ya know?"

The older man yawned disinterestedly in typical Nanu fashion. They sat there for a while. The sound of the ocean could be heard in the distance.

"Can I ask you something?" Guzma inquired.

"I certainly can't stop you."

"Do you get called Hukai'po?"

Nanu scratched his ash-gray head.

"Occasionally. I used to get it worse when I was younger. I guess my hair was lighter back then... but that's kind of an old fashioned term. Mostly people just say 'Po' these days."

"Ironic isn't it? That they call us Po and then get pissed when we go out at night?"

Nanu chuckled, "Yeah, I always thought that."

They sat in silence for a while longer.

"Nanu, why you always helping me out? All I do is give ya shit."

"Tch! You getting all sappy on me Guzma?"

"You're just so hard to read. I never know what makes you tick and it drives me crazy."

"Well..." Nanu leaned back and looked up at the sky, "You and me have a lot in common. We were given the short end of the evolutionary stick for instance. It ain't our fault Alola got these stupid-ass superstitions. Born with light skin and light hair... they think we're the vassals of the night marchers, come to steal their mortal souls. Can you imagine it? Me? Spending my hard-earned off time stealing souls? I'm exhausted just thinking about it."

Guzma chuckled.

"You probably have it even worse than me with that white mop, huh?"

Guzma didn't say anything but he understood what the kahuna was trying to say.

"I was actually surprised when you stopped dying the underpart of it black."

"Ya mean the undercut?"

"Yeah sure, whatever the fuck you call it," he waved his hand dismissively, "Anyway, I think it looks nice this way."

Guzma rubbed the back of his neck humbly.

"Um... thanks..."

"Don't mention it. Seriously. Don't. I hate that shit."

Silently, they watched a couple noibats dance around in the night sky.

"And, in all honesty," Nanu interjected into the silence, "sometimes I don't rightfully know why I put up with your shit, Guzma.  
The world is shit. The government is shit. The system is shit. The people are shit.  
Now, we don't have control over the big stuff but what about people? Why are people such absolute shit?  
Sometimes there isn't a good reason, let alone a reason at all."

He rested a wrinkled hand on Guzma's shoulder.

"But... admitably if you look really, _really_ hard, there are some things, and some people, in this world that are... _less_ shit. And like two sides of a single coin, sometimes they don't have a reason either."

The warm Alola breeze blew gently, rustling Guzma's white hair and Nanu's ashy hair.

"Welp, I got to keep patrolling. Come by the station if you want a cup of komala. Or don't. Whatever. Like I actually give a damn."  
Nanu got up and walked away.

Guzma sat a while longer, thinking about their conversation. It eventually led to him thinking about some of the things Leon said the day prior...

He rubbed his eyes. They felt tired but the rest of him was wide awake. He got up and walked some more, eventually arriving at the beach on the northern end of the island.

He wiped some sweat from his forehead. It was a typical, humid Alolan night. He kicked off his shoes and stripped down to just his boxers, wristbands, and gold chain. He stuffed his watch, which was stuck at 7:37, down into one of his shoes. It's needed a new battery for, like, two months now.

Maybe a swim would help him chill out.

He waded into the ocean until he was out far enough to tread water. He swam out further still so that the waves would stop pushing him toward the shore.  
He floated on his back for a while, looking up at the stars that peered through scattered clouds. He let the ocean rock him back and forth, occasionally propelling himself by gently kicking his feet and using his arms like an octillery.

He watched some more noibats flit across the sky. The ocean, encompassing his ears, created a peaceful hush that was very soothing.  
He held out his right hand in front of him, examining the tattoo on his forearm. It was difficult to see, unless you knew where to look, but under the dark purple ink, there was a long, keloid scar among other small faded marks.

It's been a long time since he got that tatt. It's been a longer time since he got that scar.

He lowered his arm back down and closed his eyes, concentrating on the movement of the tide that pulsed underneath him.

~~~

_*Skitter skitter scratch!*_

Guzma was sitting on the floor of his room with his back to the wall, facing his bed. He was wearing an over sized, black hoodie with the hood up. A book was on his lap that he was flipping through with his left hand. His right arm was pulled into the hoodie so that the sleeve just hung down into a lump on the floor. He looked over to the window which was ajar less than a foot.

Wimpod had scurried up the side of the house and was squeezing through the gap. He dropped down and skittered over to his trainer.

"Hey buddy, where you been?" asked Guzma scratching the bug under his chin.

He got his answer as two russet brown hands reached under the window and pushed it up farther. Sure enough, Kukui was now leaning into his room.

"Alola Guzma! I haven't seen you in a couple days! Did you tell Wimpi to come get me or did he just miss me hisself?" said Kukui cheerfully.

Guzma shot his pokémon a look. Wimpod turned away nonchalantly, pretending to be _very_ interested in a pencil lying on the bedroom floor.

"So..." he continued, lifting himself gracefully through the window, "What's new, Brother?"

"Not much," Guzma answered without looking up from his book.

"What ya been up to?"

"Nothing."

Kukui crossed his arms and rested his cheek on his fist. Then he walked over and sat down to be side by side with the white haired boy, tucking his knees up toward him.

"Did something happen?"

"No."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No."

Guzma continued flipping through his book. Kukui glanced down at it. He was reading something about metamorphosis in Bug types and the similarities and differences to evolution in other species. He also noticed the empty sleeve flopped on the floor.

Kukui rested the side of his head on his knees so that he was facing his friend.

"Whatchu reading about?"

Guzma's face brightened up.

"I got this book from the library last week and it's super cool! Did you know that lots of Bug type pokémon go through a unique form of evolution? A lot of them have three stage evolutions which isn't unusual in itself except that the middle evolution is always a cocoon-like stage where speed and attack is reduced but defense and HP is increased and during this stage the pokémon inside is constantly growing and changing unlike typical evolutions. Although the phenomena isn't completely unique to Bug types it's most common in them but it's also seen in other types like the tyranitar line, which is Dark/Rock, and scientists still debate whether to consider the salemance line... what?"

Guzma stopped when he looked over to see Kukui smiling sweetly with his eyes half-shut at him.

"Oh nothing. You're just cute when you talk about bugs."

The young boy felt his pale face flush red. He reached over with his free hand and shoved Kukui's shoulder playfully.

"Shaddup!"

The two giggled at each other.

Kukui pivoted himself to face Guzma and sat cross-legged.

"Will you show me what happened now?"

Guzma looked away and didn't say anything.

"Please, hoalola?"5

Guzma didn't turn around but he reached acrossed and hesitantly lifted the bottom of his sweatshirt up.

Kukui's stomach dropped and twisted. Guzma's arm was all kinds of colors and swollen from the wrist to the elbow. His forearm was also wrapped in a bloody dressing. The arm was held against his body by a makeshift sling.

"Guzma... what-"

"I don't want to talk about it..." he grumbled, dropping the shirt back down.

"Ok. We don't have to talk about it," reassured Kukui, "but we need to get it looked at. I think it might be broken..."

"Don't need to. The berry man showed me how to make wound disinfectant and healing salve..."

"That won't do any good if your arm is broken."

Guzma had placed his book aside and tucked his knees up to him, but not too far or it would put pressure on his bad arm.

"We can go see the lady in Akala that fixed Wimpi up after you found him."

Little did Kukui know, she was exactly the one Guzma went to every time he got an injury he couldn't handle himself. He was hoping it wouldn't come to that though. He's only ever needed her to give him a couple stitches or to splint a finger or two.

"I still can't believe you waited all night for me back then..." mentioned Guzma.

"You still on about that? That was, like, a year ago! And I already told you, silly," -Kukui smiled his famously infectious smile- "You promised to find my glasses and I promised I'd wait for you at the pier! I knew you wouldn't let me down, so there was no way I was leaving without you."

Wimpod scurried up onto Kukui's lap.

"Hey look at that! Wimpod agrees that we should go see D.J.!"

He stood up, lifting Wimpod and placing him onto the top of his ball cap.

"C'mon, Brother" -he held his hand out too Guzma- "We'll all go together."

Guzma hesitated.

"I will stay with you the whole time. I won't leave you alone. I promise."

Guzma sighed, reached up, and grabbed Kukui's hand. His friend pulled him up and then put his hand on the back of his head, burying his fingers in Guzma's thick, white hair. He brought their foreheads together for a moment. Wimpod tried to nuzzle in between them from up above, making them laugh.

"Well, let's get going. We got a ferry to catch!"

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Makuahine: (Hawaiian) Mother, Mom
> 
> 2\. Hukai'po: (Hawaiian) literally translates to 'Night Marchers'. The Hukai'po are the ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors who wander in formation, mainly during the night. If you look them in the eye, they will steal your mortal soul. If you are ever unlucky enough to come across them, your only hope in to kneel with your head to the floor until they have passed. In this universe, I've changed this up a little bit to fit the narrative.
> 
> 3\. Alola wau ia 'oe: This is based on the Hawaiian phrase "Aloha wau ia 'oe" which essentially translates to "I love you".
> 
> 4\. Mahalo: (Hawaiian) Thank you, Thanks
> 
> 5\. Hoalola: This is based on the Hawaiian "hoaloha" (also written "hoaaloha") which means a beloved friend.
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Other notes: Thanks for reading! Feedback is always appreciated! Helpful links are below!
> 
> ~~~
> 
> [Tumblr page for convenient updates ](http://zz-chikorita.tumblr.com)
> 
> [Master list of terminology](https://zz-chikorita.tumblr.com/post/615394532986650624/master-list-of-terminology-jolly-rogers)
> 
> [HCs and Background Info](https://zz-chikorita.tumblr.com/post/615439164403597312/hcs-and-background-info-jolly-rogers)


End file.
